“Deepening our understanding of the practices and beliefs we practice and how they are similar and different to those of our students, allows us to begin to look at the tensions that might arise in our classroom with a more informed lens” (17).

Teacher Reflections and Questionnaires

"Parts of the iceberg are external; other aspects are internal- they are unconscious, implicitly learned and difficult to change"
"Many of these internal components such as beliefs, values, thought patterns and myths are especially powerful aspects of culture"

Becoming aware of our own beliefs and behaviors is essential to understanding how they affect our students

“How much do we know about the talents they bring to the classroom and the interests that motivate them? Do we know the cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds of our students? Are we familiar with their communities?"
“If we are to link the curriculum to our students lives in authentic and meaningful ways, we must acknowledge and address what we do-and do not know- about the individual learners in our classrooms” (20).

“Students’ identities are essential parts of who they are as learners. These identities shape how they see the world and how they interact with new information. If we attempt ‘not to see race’ and do not invite it into our classrooms, we miss an essential part of what makes students who they are” (22).
“While we should open up the space for race, culture and ethnicity to be acknowledged in our classrooms and through the curriculums, we should be careful to pay attention to how our students are responding” (23).